The Sick Chick's Constantly Crafty – Page 3 – (archive of a defunct blog)

Soft Hearted (amigurumi)

In my first attempt at amigurumi, I made a little stuffed heart for my niece’s 8th birthday.

: A heart for Olive

I used the Tree Hearts pattern by Linda Cyr for Red Heart (Ravelry link, Free pdf of pattern link). Her original pattern called for a worsted weight yarn but I used a bulky one. So my heart was just over 5 inches across. A good size for a snuggle toy for an 8 year old, I think. I used Shepherd Colour4me Twist yarn, 100% Australian Merino Wool, in The Sick Chick signature colours, of course 😉

I had a bit of a problem on the first half: when I turned around to crochet into the unworked loops on the back of the foundation chain, I managed to get a bit of a hole forming right where I turned around. I fixed this on the second half by tugging and pulling at the yarn til the hole closed, but on the first side it was too late to fix it. (Or at least all efforts failed 🙁 ). So I hit upon the idea of the felt hearts! As you can see my blanket stitching is more suitable for Frankenstein than nice presents but it did the job. I cheated and just glued on the smaller one. And it gave me a way to personalize the gift so I thought it was a nice touch and no one but you and me need to know that it was done to cover a problem. Shhhh! 😉

In all, I think it’s not bad for my first time! I thought the pattern was very easy to follow, except for that strange hole but even then once I worked out that it was happening I was able to work around it. I also really liked the yarn. I was afraid it was going to be scratchy but really it worked up just fine! Wish I had more, I love seeing my three colours all twisted together like that 🙂

I’ve gone to the land down under….

Several people have been poking me wondering what has happened to this blog. If you don’t care, avert your eyes now 😉

I actually was posting through May of 2010 when I went to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. A good, sweaty time was had by all, but then I needed to crash for a while. Silly illnesses! Unfortunately, when I came up for air, this website’s database had taken a nosedive. It took my poor husband a while to figure out how to restore it but alas, our backup system wasn’t working and I lost everything back to January.

Then, just as all seemed right with the world, I found out on fairly short notice that I was moving to Australia in September! Oh my! So much headless chickenage abounded, trying to get ready. This trek I am just here for a few months — we got ourselves an apartment and t (the husband) is settled into his new job and loves it. I’m headed back to the US soon to pack up our things and have them shipped, and also to wait out the months of pre-quarantine needed to bring our kitty over. So once again t and I will be living in separate continents, but this time it’s finite 🙂 Come April or May I will relocate permanently.

So from a car accident totaling the vehicle in January to moving abroad again by December, 2010 was a crazy year! There was much crafting, although there wasn’t much taking of photos. But I have a few things to show you, so this blog can live again!

Obligatory Australia photo:

Me sunning it up and turning 36 — Whale watching on my 36th birthday. Alas, humpbacks seem to *always* hide from me so once again failed to see any.

And before anyone says it, it’s not “so exciting!!” to be moving to Australia. I am not all that keen on the idea, actually, but t’s job is worth it and we’re desperate to live on the same continent again. But I’m not particularly excited by Sydney, as I don’t surf and am not one of the beautiful people who line the beaches 😛 Take away the beaches and it’s just like moving to Chicago…only I am so over Chicago after my parents lived near there for 13 years 🙁

Livin’ on Tulsa Time (for a week or so)

OK I had meant to do another post before this trip but I’ve been sleeping my life away (what is it with the Country music in my head right now?? I usually listen to New Age & Baroque 😛 ). Oh well. Oklahoma road trip news it is…

Tomorrow I leave to drive to Tulsa/Sand Springs for the weekend and then to my adored free hospital where I have a bajillion doctors appointments in Talihina for the week. I also hope to pop over to Durant to see Gail & Jim of Ozark Carding whom I met at SAFF. I know of the fabulous yarn shop Loops and the Bead Merchant, both in Tulsa. I also know Hobby Lobby is based in Tulsa and OKC but in my experience the stores are the same as everywhere else. I hope to be able to meet @ZenSuriAlpacas — if anyone else around there wants to meet up let me know!

So my dear readers, any other suggestions of crafty places to go in any of those towns? Most of the shops listed on the net are out of business so it’s hard to find out which places are still thriving! Please let me know ASAP if you have any suggestions.

Meanwhile, I don’t know if I will have much net access until the end of the month. I have my ipod Touch for checking email in cafes but I don’t like lugging out the laptop in public so I don’t know if I will be able to post or not. (I’m staying at the hospital’s hospitality suite and dunno if they have internet!) But I will try to take pictures and do a write-up when I get back, especially of Ozark Carding. I hope to be allowed to take video, I’ve never been to a professional carding mill before, I am so excited! 🙂

Can you give me a hand?

A "missing" hand — I really need a hand...

I’m struggling. My health has been worse than usual this past year and although I don’t talk about it much it has been very hard. The depression is coming back after having been at bay for a long time and I’m spiralling downward into malaise. I want desperately to get Healing Arts (formerly The Sick Chick Crafts for Causes) up, running and fully legal (and thus tax-deductible!) but it’s a lot more work than I had initially imagined. It will be very worth it, but…like the people I want to help, I’m in a bad place right now and could really use a little lift.

Can you give me a hand?

I mean that literally! I’m asking you and anyone, everyone, young and old to send me a cutout of a hand, decorated any way you please and made from whatever materials suit your fancy. I’ll use these hands to cheer myself on by affixing them to the bare walls in my room and also sending hands to anyone else who seems to need one. Please write your name or nick on the back so I/we will know who is lending their hand to this project 🙂 (And if you send other contact details I will write you a thank-you note eventually!)

A cut-out in the shape of my hand, coloured with watercolour and markers — Here's one I made earlier...

Please send hand images to:

The Sick Chick

P.O. Box 904

Cary, NC 27512-0904

I will be ever so grateful and hopefully this will be what I need to get myself out of a funk and get cracking on helping others! Many thanks in advance!

New Year, New Start

I know that it is something of a cardinal sin amongst bloggers and podcasters to apologize for being absent, but nonetheless I do wish to say that I am sorry for not posting. I’ve been dealing with some difficult health challenges this autumn plus we’re *still* dealing with moving from the UK, so much to do and so very little energy to do it.

But I miss the camaraderie of the blogosphere and I would very much like to post more often. So please, if you are so inclined, send prayers/energy/candles/etc my way that I will have the stamina to blog in this new year. And now, on with the show!

Items to Craft for Chronically Ill Friends & Relatives, Part One

National Invisible Awareness Week has ended but it’s still National Pain Awareness Month and right now I’m well aware of my pain so I thought I’d blog instead 😉 In honour of my Crafting for Causes charity program (which has NO donations yet *sniff sniff* — whatcha waiting on people??) I thought I would list just a small sampling of items that could brighten an ill person’s day and/or make their lives easier. Of course some of this depends on what kind of illness they have but you’d be using your judgement, of course!

Papercrafting

Handmade cards and postcards (can involve sewing/quilting/fabric/etc too!)
Signs of good wishes to hang up near their bed/lair
Mini-books filled with inspirational quotes
Personalized stationery to make it easy to write notes to friends — with postage included
Blank journals to record their health, feelings, dreams or wishes, etc.

Quilting

Lap quilts for wheelchair users (I like 30 inches square finished size)
Small throws for lounging on the sofa
Bed quilts, especially for the hospitalized to bring to colour to the room
Padded cases for eyeglasses
Thick quilted “pot” holders to be used for hot OR cold items (my hands can’t handle taking things out of the freezer, for instance)

Sewing

All kinds of warmers made with grains/rice inside of fabric that can be microwaved; these can be shaped for certain body parts or square for a generic heating pad
Nice pillows to put said warmers into, or just in general
Fleece hats
Extra-warm Mittens
Bed jackets and shrugs
Bags and totes for carrying things to appointments
Bags, “backpacks” and other items to add storage space to a rollator or wheelchair
“Slanket”/”Snuggie” type throws
Cute animals to cuddle up with — yes even adults like to sleep with a friend sometimes! — ideally very soft as well

Knit/Crochet

Lap blankets for wheelchair users (see above)
Throws for lounging
Shrugs and cardigans for those who get cold easily
Gloves, mittens or fingerless versions thereof
Wrist, arm, legwarmers
Hats, especially soft ones that are washable but don’t have bulky brims (for those of us who have to sleep in hats a bump at the brim can be uncomfortable)
Handmade socks
Prayer square where appropriate
Cute, soft animals (see above)

Toiletries — check with the person first for allergies/sensitivities!!

Lotions for those with skin problems
Unscented items for people allergic to perfumes
Exfoliating items for people who can’t bathe/shower every single day (dead skin can build up quickly)
Aromatherapy blends for relaxation, stress reduction, mental clarity, etc.
Bath blends without harsh chemicals; salts are usually good for this
Massage oils safe for use on the temples and forehead or warming or cooling ones for the body

Beading

Bookmarks
Stretchy jewelry for people who have trouble with hooks and clasps
Pretty, sparkly things for women who may be feeling unfeminine b/c of illness or side effects of treatment
Prayer beads where appropriate
Tiaras to make them the Queen of their Domain 🙂
Medic alert IDs — make the medic sign very visible
Awareness jewelry relating to their specific disease(s)

This is really a small sample of things that can be made, and things I plan to make for others. Watch this space for more ideas in the weeks to come, and of course feel free to ask any questions about the items listed or to make suggestions of your own!

Sick Chicks, Chaps and Children Who Craft — Represent!

I’ve been trying to make a list of everyone who has publicly acknowledged that they have a chronic illness and who also are crafters. Maybe they make their living crafting or just use it to cope with the everyday stresses of living with illness. However, this is obviously an impossible task — there are millions of people who fit this category! So I’m just going to do what I can and start the ball rolling!

Since this is Invisible Illness Awareness Week, I can’t think of a better time to start ah, taking names 😉

If you are, or know of, a person who is out about living with chronic illness (please don’t divulge secrets not your own!) who is into crafting, please please comment! Leave the blog, website, Twitter, Facebook, Etsy or other URL where we can find them so we can spread the encouragement!

And please don’t forget that I am crafting for the chronically ill & their support teams, donations of craft supplies & postage greatly needed!!

Wordless Wednesday

Crafting for Causes — Check out my new charity work!

In case you haven’t seen yet, I have pledged to craft little gifts for chronically ill people, their carers and medical professionals that deserve our thanks. I am in need of craft supplies, but anything else anyone might want to send to be distributed to these lovely people would be greatly appreciated!!! Chronically ill adults benefit the LEAST from programs designed to give cheer to the sick. Most of the money and effort go to children or adults with terminal illness or cancer, while funds for chronic illnesses go to research. Research is a good thing, but when you’re feeling isolated and lonely it’s not much to go on.

Since I know most of my readers ARE chronically ill people, what I would really like from you is just to spread the word that I am looking for supplies. Please tell everyone with excessive stashes or any craft supply companies or book publishers who might be able to donate. Thanks so much for your efforts!!!

For more info please see: http://thesickchick.com/causes

More Challengy Goodness!

I finished the FiberTudes challenge with two days of swatch crocheting (I’m using these pieces as mini-facecloths since I prefer small pads for scrubbing my face.) and one yarnstravaganza at JoAnn’s Labor Day Sale. Then for September, it’s time for:

The point of this challenge is to *make and finish* one small crafted item per day. No time requirements so it can be very ickle things. So far I have been making bracelets and more mini-facecloths (but I didn’t double-count any for the Fibertudes challenge, yes I did two things a day for three days!) but I plan to branch out into stitch markers very soon. And keep making my facecloths because I love using them 🙂

I will do my best to actually take pictures this weekend, how scary! I haven’t shown an FO on this blog in what, over a year….so hold on to your (hand-crafted) hats, people! 😉